AHF: National Coalition of STD Directors Backs Condoms in Adult Films

While not explicitly or directly supporting the “Condoms in Porn”
ballot measure, the National Coalition of STD Directors’ latest policy
statement supports the principles of condom use outlined in ballot
measure

LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) applauded the National Coalition
of STD Directors (NCSD) for its updated policy statement in support of
protecting workers in the adult film industry from STDs and HIV. In a letter
publicly distributed on December 18th, NCSD Executive
Director William A. Smith promotes condom usage in adult film
production and writes, “After passing a Policy Statement on Worker
Health and Safety in the Adult Film Industry in 2010, NCSD continues to
be concerned about insufficient STD and HIV prevention efforts within
the adult film industry. This industry creates between 4,000-11,000
films each year with gross revenue of $9-13 billion annually. Yet
evidence suggests that the industry fails to take the necessary steps to
ensure its thousands of workers are protected from acquiring STDs,
including HIV.”

Smith continues that “attempts to encourage the industry to regulate
itself have for the most part failed, leading to the need for national
regulation of the industry and multifaceted efforts to ensure
enforcement” and declares that NCSD supports policy efforts that require:

Workers receive health training about condom use for the prevention of
HIV and other STDs;

Health Departments are Partners in Prevention.

“We are pleased that the National Coalition of STD Directors’ support
for protecting adult film performers is as strong today as it was back
in 2010 when its members passed a policy statement in support of
condoms being mandatory on adult film sets,” said AHF President Michael
Weinstein. “In the interim, we’ve successfully passed Measure B in
Los Angeles County and have completed the steps necessary to put an
initiative requiring condoms on adult film sets in California on the
statewide ballot in November. With this new statement from NCSD,
California voters can pass the initiative knowing they are in good
company with our nation’s leading public health officials who work each
day to promote sexual health through the prevention of STDs.”

The California Safer Sex in the Adult Film Industry Act is a statewide
condom ballot measure modeled on Measure B, a measure officially known
as the ‘County of Los Angeles Safer Sex in the Adult Film Industry Act,’
which passed with overwhelming voter support—57% to 43%—in the November
2012 election in Los Angeles County. The statewide measure promoted by
AHF and FAIR (For Adult Industry Responsibility) was deemed “eligible
for the ballot” by California Secretary of State Alex Padilla in
November 2015. Initial polling on the proposed statewide measure that
was conducted in September 2014 suggests as many as 71% of the state’s
voters would back the measure.

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS
organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to over
500,000 individuals in 36 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin
America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. To learn
more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org,
find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth
and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare
and Instagram: @aidshealthcare